Why the study?
What physiological factors are associated with lower maximal oxygen consumption in older master runners compared to young runners?
Population
22 male runners, comprising 11 master formerly elite distance runners and 11 young runners.
Comparison
Older age (master runners) vs Young runners
Design
Cross-sectional
Authors
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Indicates combined limits to O2 delivery and extraction in master runners; hypothesis-generating for longitudinal and interventional studies.
What physiological factors are associated with lower maximal oxygen consumption in older master runners compared to young runners?
The lower VO2max observed in older master runners is driven by a diminished capacity to both deliver oxygen (due to reduced maximal heart rate and stroke volume) and extract oxygen during exercise.
Rivera et al. (1989) studied this question.
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